The Rescue
by PattiL61
Summary: An ending to Ki'ilua.  Steve's point of view and what may have happened after his extraction from No. Korea.  OK- you talked me into it.  Thanks for all the great feedback! Conclusion is up.
1. Chapter 1

**THE RESCUE…**

He heard the explosion, felt the truck stop abruptly, but he just couldn't open his eyes or sit up. Even if he could sit up, the man with the foot on the rope attached to him prevented that. That last blow to the head seemed to have done some damage. His head felt like it was splitting open; he was nauseous, his vision blurry. He felt himself floating in and out of the darkness.

He felt the truck start to back up, the shift of his body as it lay on the floor told him that. There was excitement in the voices of his captors. He knew the language, but the pain in his head and body seemed to make his mind numb and unable to catch all the words. He thought he made something out about an ambush.

After a few more minutes – or it could have been hours as he didn't know how long he was in the blackness that time – he felt the truck come to a stop. While in the darkness this time he remembered seeing Jenna being shot just after she'd given him the pin to pick the lock of the chain that hung him from the ceiling. He remembered closing her eyes, taking the silver chain from her neck. At least he'd be able to bring something of her home to her family once he'd found them. Now, it was doubtful that he'd ever make it home. He was losing hope – almost.

He smelled the fire first, the burning of the engine oil, the upholstery of the vehicle; was it this vehicle? He struggled against the muscle and body aches and managed to sit up, but didn't have the strength to move anymore. The change from lying down to sitting almost did him in. He struggled against the pain screaming at him from his bruised abdominal muscles, fought to hold back the vomiting and to cope with the newest wave of dizziness. He looked around as his captors exited the truck, leaving him behind, still bound at the ankles and wrists. He heard the shooting start, the air rushing out of those just outside the truck he was in as the bullets struck them, taking their lives.

He listened to what was going on around him even though he couldn't see it. He thought he heard the familiar sound of American gunfire and yelling. Couldn't be, he thought to himself. He was in the middle of the jungle in North Korea and no one knew where he was. "You've done it to yourself this time, McGarrett," he said to himself.

He tried to move, to get up, but that effort took what little he had left in him. He felt things go dark around him again.

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

When he awoke this time, all was quiet. He heard birds chirping from the trees – like it was just another quiet day in the jungle. He could still smell the remaining fire burning. He just stayed still until the new wave of dizziness from his attempt to move passed, his head back against the truck wall, eyes closed, and he remained still.

Suddenly, brightness hit his face. He turned his head toward the light, opened his eyes, wondering what new assault to him was on its way. He squinted, "Danny?" he screamed internally. He must really be losing it, hallucinating. He squeezed his eyes shut, opened them again, expecting the image to be gone. It was still there.

"Steve!" came the shout. "I've got Steve! He's alive," he yelled again before jumping up into the back of the truck and coming toward Steve.

It was Danny! His adrenaline kicked in again, making him more alert. Danny reached him and Steve held his wrists up toward him. His first thought, "Danny? Where's Wo Fat?"

The look on Danny's face at that question, and the response that he could have predicted from his good friend – the familiar "Shut up!" – told him that Wo Fat had slipped away again. The tarp over the back of the truck was lifted again and Steve looked to see Chin and Joe standing there. They looked as shocked to see him as he'd been to see all of them.

Danny helped him to the back end of the truck and Joe and Chin helped him out. He felt his knees buckle, but was caught under both arms and supported by Chin and Joe. "Hang on, Son," Joe encouraged. He regained his footing somewhat, but not without needing continued support from his team. As Danny and Joe changed position, Danny taking over the support of his friend along with Chin, Steve looked around him and saw more men, but his vision was blurry still. He squinted as they came closer and recognized members of SEAL Team 9.

Joe was doing a quick survey of Steve to see if there was anything that needed immediate attention or if they could wait until they'd gotten him to the pick-up zone and helo.

"Damn, Commander, you look like Hell," said SEAL Team 9 Commander Wade Gutches as he gave Steve a clap on the back.

"And you guys have never looked better, Sir," Steve replied gratefully, although the attempt to talk caused considerable pain.

Gutches shot Lt. Commander White a look as he saw Steve's face pale considerably at that attempt to talk. "Let's get you to the pick-up zone," Joe said, finishing his assessment and deciding that Steve could wait until they'd gotten him the hell out of here. The sooner the better.

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

Every step seemed to take something out of him, even with the support from Chin and Danny. He felt himself start to pass out a number of times, but felt the additional weight of him as he fought to stay conscious on Danny and Chin being supported without question. Danny and Chin continued to encourage him, telling him they were almost there. It kept him conscious.

Lt. Commander White and Lt. Bradley Jacks – the man he'd rescued from the sky diving incident – led the way, while Commander Gutches and two other SEAL Team 9 members brought up the rear.

As they came toward the end of the trail, Steve looked ahead to see a clearing. At the same time he heard the familiar sound of the helo coming in to pick up the group. His adrenaline soared again as they reached the clearing at the same time the helo put down.

He wondered where the hell they'd gotten their hands on this helo. It looked ancient, but as long as it got them all out of here safely, he didn't care. As he'd almost made it to the helo, the bright sun on his face, causing him to squint, he saw a form coming toward him. As the form reached him, he barely had time to see that it was Agent Weston before she'd thrown her arms around his neck and hugged him so tight he couldn't get any breath in.

Immediately he thought of Kono. Why wasn't she there? Had something happened to her on this mission? As Lori let go and headed back to the front of the helo, Steve looked at Chin. The question was unspoken, but Chin new exactly what Steve wanted to know.

"She's good, Brah," he answered him. "Back at base camp manning the electronics. She's the one that found your convoy," he said, seeing immediate relief in Steve's eyes.

They got Steve into the helo, all climbed aboard and took off from the clearing. Once seated in the helo, Steve had another surge of adrenaline. Commander Gutches and Lt. Commander White saw Steve reaching for something, knowing immediately what he needed. Gutches handed it to Joe, who put the rifle into Steve's hands. He watched as Steve checked the clip and made sure to chamber a round. Danny, Chin and Lori, watched the frantic movements of Steve and saw him immediately relax a little once he had the weapon in his hand. The military men among them knew that Steve needed to have the weapon to get back some of the feeling of control he'd lost while held captive and tortured by Wo Fat.

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

After they were away from North Korea and headed toward the nearest U.S. Military base in South Korea, Steve began to relax, the adrenaline wearing off yet again. Joe White felt Steve's involuntary shaking as he leaned back against Joe's legs as he sat on the floor of the helo. Joe looked down to see him fighting to stay conscious.

Joe put a hand firmly on Steve's shoulder as Chin handed him water to try to get him re-hydrated and Danny wrapped him in a blanket to keep the warmth in. Chin ended up having to hold the water bottle to Steve's mouth because his hands were shaking too badly. Lori watched it all from the front seat of the helo. They all knew that Steve's body was going into shock, whether he wanted it to or not. With the immediate threat to life removed, his body started reacting to the torture he'd endured these last couple of days.

Steve gave Danny and Chin a look of thanks for their assistance and began to lose the fight to stay conscious as they were about to land at the US Military Base just over the border in South Korea. They had contacted Kono and she relayed information to the base so that they'd be ready for the team's arrival. Then, she packed up her equipment and used Frank Baffa's old surplus army jeep to get over to the military base and meet the team. She needed to make sure for herself that Steve was okay.

Those closest to Steve in the helo helped to lay him flat on the floor and raised his legs to keep the blood flow toward his heart and head. They put another blanket over him in an attempt to keep his body warmth in. Steve had given up the fight to remain awake and Danny carefully took the gun from his hands. Lt. Jakes had removed his shirt and put it under Steve's head as a cushion.

As the helo touched down, the medical team swarmed Steve, removing him from the helo and placing him on their stretcher. Steve opened his eyes briefly as he was moved and made a half-hearted attempt to sit up.

"It's okay, Commander," came the answer from one of the Corpsmen moving him toward the ambulance. "We've got you, Sir. Just relax," he assured him.

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

That was the last Steve remembered until he next woke up in the Infirmary in a soft bed, with clean sheets and the smell of antiseptic all around. He'd undergone a series of examinations, x-rays, blood work and the like all during the two days he'd remained unconscious.

His first sight was of Kono, who was sitting in the chair alongside his bed sipping a cup of coffee as she watched his eyes open.

"Welcome back, Boss," she said with a smile as she stood up to get closer to his side.

He let a weak smile show, although the action made him wince with pain at the split lip that was healing. "Good to be back. What time is it?" he asked.

Kono looked at her watch as Danny, Joe, Chin and Lori had peeked around the curtain at hearing Kono's voice. "It's 0900 hours," she answered. Thinking that he'd simply slept through the night, he took in the sight of the IV that was in his arm, along with the heart monitor that he heard beeping in the background.

Danny chirped in, "You know she means 0900 hours on Saturday, right Big Buy? You've been out for two days, and I might add you had us a little worried," he added.

"Thanks, guys. But, how'd you find me?" he asked, looking at Commander White. "Joe?"

"Jenna Kaye called us from your satellite phone," he answered. "Kono here was able to track it to your general location before we lost the signal again. Once we got here, we were able to pick up unusual movement around the bunker based on satellite information and went from there," he concluded

Steve's face looked solemn. "She's dead. Wo Fat shot her," he told them.

"Yeah, we found her when we were searching the bunker for you," Danny answered, touching Steve's foot at the end of the bed.

The nurse and the doctor made their way into the room, and the team was kicked out while they checked him over.

**THE END.**


	2. Chapter 2

**THE RESCUE…**

**CHAPTER 2**

Steve opened his eyes and looked over to his partner, who was sleeping in the very uncomfortable looking chair in the corner of his room.

Apparently, he had fallen asleep in the middle of his conversation with Danny. He cleared his throat, which woke Danny.

Danny stood up, stretched and yawned and said, "Well, welcome back. I must say I don't think you have ever complained that my talking put you to sleep, but I guess that's the case."

Steve smiled, tried unsuccessfully to stifle a chuckle because of the discomfort it would cause to his healing mouth and jaws and said, "Sorry, Danno. Blame it on the drugs."

"Yeah, that must be it," he answered sarcastically. "You do know you look like hell, right?"

"Well, good. 'Cause I'd hate to think I feel like this for nothing," Steve returned. His stomach lurched at his choice of words – "It wasn't for nothing," Jenna had said to him just before she enabled him to get free. He grimaced as he tried to adjust himself higher in the bed. Danny reached over and handed him the button that elevates the head and foot of the bed.

"Thanks," Steve said, making the necessary adjustments. "Where is everyone?" he asked, half expecting to see everyone draped over chairs in various stages of sleep like they were when he first awoke.

"Doctor's orders. You need mega rest, so we're taking shifts," he said.

"Ah, and you drew the short straw and got the first shift?"

"Not at all, not at all, Steven. I get my shift over with and actually get to sleep in a BED tonight. I think I got the best end of the deal," Danny smiled and laughed.

"When did you start seeing the bright side of things?" Steve quipped back. "I didn't see the guys from Team 9 at all. Any idea where they are?" he asked.

"Ahhh. You should know better than most, Steven. Seal Team 9 was nowhere near North Korea," Danny answered. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he added, "They were on their way back home before we even had you off the helo. We're keeping them apprised of your condition."

Steve nodded, fidgeted a little, and looked up at Danny. "Thanks, Danno. For coming to get me. I'm sorry I put everyone in such danger."

"All in a day's work, Babe," he said, shrugging off his thanks. "YOU didn't put us in danger, Jenna Kaye put you in danger and thus, put us all in danger. What, you thought we wouldn't come looking for you? As soon as we ID'd Jenna from the fake driver's license picture at the hotel, we were all over it," he finished, taking Steve's outstretched hand and giving it a firm shake, leaning in for a half-hug that wouldn't hurt him too badly.

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

They were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them and looked to see Kono and Chin standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Boss," Kono said cheerfully. "How's it?" Chin looked up and down the hallway and they both entered the room, half expecting armed guards to charge in and clear the room, because that's how adamant the doctor was about keeping visitors to a minimum.

"Hey, Guys!" Steve said excitedly. This was the first he'd really gotten to talk to anyone since he'd been rescued. Everything was pretty much blank after getting into the helo at the pick-up zone.

"You look a lot better than a couple of days ago, you're starting to turn all kinds of greens and yellows," Kono noticed of his bruises. She noticed, but didn't bring attention to the burn marks on his chest. They still hadn't heard exactly what he'd endured and they didn't want to push him on it – he'd tell them if and when he was ready.

Danny looked at his watch, did some calculations in his head and figured that Grace would be home from school by now at home. He excused himself to go call her and let her know how Uncle Steve was doing, with the promise of coming back before he headed back to his guest quarters for the night.

Just as Danny exited the room, he peeked back into the room, "Nurse Cratchett alert. One of you better get the heck out of here!" he whispered urgently before disappearing again.

Steve couldn't help but laugh at the look of panic on Kono's and Chin's faces. If they opened, he thought Kono would probably try to escape out the window.

"I'll talk to you later, Boss," Kono said as she gave Steve a hug and kiss on the cheek before sneaking out of the room while Danny had the nurse's attention as a diversion.

Chin quickly grabbed a seat in the chair as the nurse made her way into the room with some medications and to take another round of vitals. He'd been disconnected from the heart monitor, oxygen and IV a little while ago.

"Commander," she said, as she poured some water and dumped some pills into Steve's hand. "Your antibiotics and I also have some pain meds if you need it. You're due for another dose, so whenever you're ready let me know," she said, watching him swallow the antibiotics and taking the cup from him.

"I think I'll hold off for a little bit yet," he told her, not wanting to fall asleep again quite yet, which the pills made him do.

The nurse finished taking and marking his vital signs in the chart, seeming pleased with what she'd seen. "Okay, just let me know when you're ready. Don't let the pain get too far ahead of you though," she cautioned. "Need the facilities before I leave?" she asked.

"Um, thanks, not right now," he answered and Chin stifled a chuckle. Steve blushed a little and the nurse cracked a smile.

"You'll be here for a bit?" she asked Chin.

"Yes, ma'am," he answered.

"Ma'am is my mother. My name is Nikki," she offered. "He's not to get out of bed without one of the nurses here – at least for the first time," she warned.

"Got it," Chin said.

"Okay, let me know if you need anything. I'll be here 'til 11:00 tonight," she said, taking the chart and the unused pain pills and heading for the door. At the door she turned back to the two of them.

"I mean it, Commander. If I have to work overtime doing paperwork because you did a face plant trying to get to the bathroom…." she warned.

"Promise," Steve answered.

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

"Do I remember something about you getting married?" Steve asked Chin suddenly remembering something about it right before everything went black in the helicopter after he'd been rescued.

"You know it," Chin answered with a big smile on his face.

"That's great, Chin. I'm happy for you," Steve answered.

Chin and Steve had been sitting quietly, barely watching a movie on the television – a war movie, of course - in his room. They had talked a little bit about what he'd been through, how they found him, and about the helo pilot, Frank Bamma.

"That pilot," Steve said, chuckling. "He's like from every Vietnam war movie I've ever seen," and they both started to laugh.

"You should've seen Danny's face when he saw that thing for the first time, Brah. There were chickens nesting inside of it!"

Steve laughed and then grimaced as he grabbed at his abdomen. "Oww!"

Chin stood, watching as Steve tried to catch his breath without causing further discomfort.

After a moment, he was able to breathe again and laid his head back on the pillows. "What do you think? Time for some pain meds, Brah?" Chin asked. He could see that Steve was starting to have a lot of discomfort.

Frustrated at having to take the medication, he sighed and nodded his head. Chin started to go find the nurse, but Steve stopped him.

"Wait. I need to hit the head first," he told Chin quietly, throwing the covers off and holding onto the rail on the side of the bed to help pull himself forward, using as little of his stomach muscles as he could.

"Wait, I gotta go get Nikki," Chin said. Steve shook his head.

"Nah, I can do it if you help me," he said with pleading eyes. "Just help me to the door."

Chin returned to Steve's side and helped him move forward to the edge of the bed. "Alright, Steve, but if I get in trouble for this…."

"Ah, man up, Brah," Steve teased, standing and getting his balance while holding onto the bed rail and Chin. He had an immediate lightheaded feeling, but that passed rather quickly. He was surprised at how shaky he felt. He let go of the bed rail and leaned more on Chin who took the additional weight of his friend without comment.

After about three steps, he felt a little steadier and leaned less heavily on Chin, although Chin didn't leave his side. Just as they reached the door to the bathroom, they both jumped when they heard Nikki clearing her throat loudly behind them.

Steve quickly removed his arm from around Chin's shoulder and disappeared inside the bathroom, closing the door behind him to let Chin absorb the wrath of Nikki.

"Nice," Chin said through the door to Steve. Chin turned toward Nikki and was met with a smirk. "He ordered me to help him," he pleaded his case.

"Uh huh," she said, going over to straighten up Steve's bed before he got back. "You are SO lucky he didn't face plant. Don't worry, I'm used to these Special Forces guys ignoring orders," she confessed. "If I really don't want them getting up on their own, I tether them to the bed and sedate them," she said with a chuckle.

Steve opened the door to the bathroom and they both turned toward him. Because of proximity, Chin reached him first after noticing the paleness to his face and sheen of sweat over his forehead. The nurse was right behind him and they got him back to his bed.

They got him settled and Nikki started to take vitals and check him over. "What's up, Commander?" she asked him, trying to find out what the trouble was.

"Just got really lightheaded and sick," he said, trying to catch his breath from the small amount of physical activity.

Nikki reached over to press the intercom button on the wall. "Can I help you?" came the answer from the nursing station in the hallway.

"Is Doc Mason still out there, Sharon?" Nikki asked, still skillfully going about getting Steve settled and comfortable. She had positioned the nasal cannula and turned on some oxygen which seemed to bring a little color back to Steve's face.

"He is," came the reply. "You need him in there?"

"An appearance would be appreciated," she answered calmly.

"Everything okay?" Chin asked, looking at Steve lying there with his eyes closed concentrating on evening out his breathing.

"I believe so," she answered Chin. "Still with me, Commander?" she asked, turning her attention back to Steve. She was starting another set of vitals to compare after she'd gotten him settled and on the oxygen. She was now working on putting the cardiac monitor back on him and getting ready to start another IV if needed.

"Mmm… yup," Steve answered weakly. "Heart feels like its racing," he whispered.

Dr. Mason came into the room just then. "What's up, Nikki?" He looked at Steve and then at the chart that she'd set on the table alongside the bed.

After taking in the information she'd recorded, he said, "Let me guess, Commander? You had to hit the head and didn't wait for a nurse," in a teasing voice.

"I had help," Steve answered, peeking up at the doctor out of one eye before closing it again. The room was still spinning slightly, although he seemed to be able to catch his breath a little easier.

"You got me in enough trouble, Brah," Chin answered sarcastically.

Dr. Mason put the stethoscope on Steve's chest and was listening to his breathing and heartbeat. Steve winced at the pressure on his chest and even more when the doctor starting tapping on his lower abdomen. "Sorry, Commander," he apologized.

"Let's get another chest x-ray," Dr. Mason said to Nikki. "Sounds a little "thick" on the left side. You know what, throw in a CT of his belly too."

"Commander, your breath sounds are a little decreased on your left side, and you have some distention in your lower left abdomen. I want to make sure you don't have anything going on in there. How's your pain level now?" Dr. Mason asked him. Nikki ducked out into the hallway quickly to get a couple of orderlies to move Steve to x-ray and CT.

Steve looked at the doctor, "Whatever you think, Doc. I could use something for pain," he admitted.

"He was going to ask for pain meds right before he got up," Chin offered.

"Did you have increased pain right before you got up, or was it just from the pain meds wearing off?" he asked Steve. "When was his last pain med taken?" he also asked of Nikki.

"He's overdue by about an hour and a half. Said he wanted to hold off for a bit," Nikki answered.

"Okay – I'd rather hold off on the pain meds until after we get the x-ray and CT if you can stand it Commander?" Dr. Mason said.

"Yeah," Steve said, with obvious pain in his voice.

The orderlies came in and settled Steve onto another stretcher, which caused some more discomfort. They were wheeling him out and Chin was following just as Lori Weston came around the corner.

She took in the sight of Steve with the oxygen and pale, sweaty skin. His eyes were closed. "Steve?" she asked as the stretcher went by her. He gave her a thumbs up, not really able to talk because of the pain.

"Chin, what's happening?" Lori asked as they watched the elevator door close with Steve inside.

"Don't know. He's having some increased pain and difficulty breathing. Doc wants to check his lungs and abdomen to make sure nothing's going on," Chin answsered her.

They both settled into the waiting area.

**To Be Continued….**


	3. Chapter 3

**THE RESCUE…**

**Chapter 3**

Steve had been moved up to the Operating Room. Captain Mason went into the room to go over the results with Steve, who was conscious but in considerable pain, with his eyes closed and concentrating on controlling the pain.

"Commander," he said gently, trying not to startle him.

"What's happening?" Steve asked, opening his eyes. A nurse was checking the oxygen which had been switched from a nasal cannula to a mask to get more oxygen to Steve.

"Commander, you've got a punctured lung from one of the broken ribs. This must have happened when you moved to get out of bed. It appears small and we'll just keep you on the oxygen and keep a close eye on your progress. I believe this will heal by itself, but will take time. However, there does appear to be some blood in your abdomen. I believe this may be coming from your spleen," he advised.

"Okay," Steve said, speaking haltingly due to the pain. "What's next?'

"I've called the surgeon and we've discussed your condition. He needs to take you to the O.R. to do an exploratory. We need to make sure that this is from your spleen and how bad the laceration is. If its small enough – which I believe it is – we'll just clean out any free blood that we can, close you up and keep a watch to make sure the bleeding is stopping on its own and that you're healing. If you do not stop bleeding on your own, we'll need to remove part of or all of the spleen, depending how bad the laceration is" he explained further.

"Okay, when do we do this?" Steve asked.

"The surgeon is on his way – he should be here any minute. He wants me to get you prepped. I know you're in considerable pain, Commander, but I'd really rather not give you anything until the anesthesiologist gets you to sleep. Can you hang on for about 10 more minutes?" Captain Mason asked, as he looked up to see the surgeon – Major Dixon – entering the floor and heading straight for them. Right behind him was the anesthesiologist.

"Yup," Steve said, trying to use as little words as possible. "Sooner the better," he finished, trying to catch his breath through a spasm of abdominal pain.

"Commander," Major Dixon said as he came into the room, approached Steve and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm Major Dixon. Let's see if we can get you fixed up and get rid of this pain for you so you can head back state-side shall we?"

"Sounds like a plan, Sir," Steve answered.

"Okay then. Lieutenant Pritchard, let's put him lights out," Major Dixon said to the anesthesiologist.

"Yes, Sir," he replied and put a mask over Steve's mouth and nose. When Lieutenant Pritchard was sure that Steve was fully under the anesthesia, he gave the go-ahead to start the surgery.

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

Chin and Lori had called Danny, Kono and Joe from the hospital to let them know that Steve was having an issue. They told them they'd keep them advised, but they had come to the hospital anyway.

The elevator door opened and Nikki came over to the group. She wasn't surprised that the entire team was there waiting for news – she could tell how close they were from the time Steve had arrived. She had heard the story about when he was brought into the medical facility – it had taken a few minutes to get the team away from him so the medical staff could work. They had been reluctant to leave his side after his rescue. No one really knew the story of what had actually happened to the Commander, but by the looks of him, he'd been through quite an ordeal.

As she reached the group, they all stood.

"Okay, Commander McGarrett tolerated his tests well. The doctor will be right down with the results," she told them.

With that, the elevator door opened again and out stepped Captain Mason. He looked into the waiting area and was greeted with four very anxious faces.

"Commander McGarrett's tests revealed that he has a small puncture in his left lung, which explains the difficulty in breathing. I think when he got up out of bed he moved around enough to have a jagged piece of one of his broken ribs that didn't show up on the x-ray puncture the lung. It's very small so we're going to keep an eye on that to make sure that it is healing on its own," he explained.

"However, there is some bleeding into his left, upper abdomen. The CT Scan shows that it is apparently coming from the spleen. This appears small as well, but we are taking the Commander to the OR to take a look and make sure its not more serious. We'll clean out the abdomen, look around to make sure there is no other danger looming, and as long as it looks minor, we'll close him up and let him heal on his own," he finished.

"And if it's not minor?" asked Lori.

"We would remove a portion of or the whole spleen, depending on how much damage there is," he filled in.

"When is the surgery?" Danny asked.

"It's already under way," Captain Dixon reported. "He should be out in about two to three hours at the most."

They all stood silently for a moment. Captain Dixon waited to see if there were any other questions and then said, "If you have no questions, I'm going to go check on some patients. If you need me, you can have me paged and I'll have Nikki or her replacement on the next shift let you know when he's out of surgery."

"Thanks, Captain," Joe White replied, shaking the man's hand.

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

Danny, Chin, Kono and Joe had gone back to their accommodations once Stave had been brought back from the Recovery Room. Lori had stayed behind and been sitting next to Steve's bed since he'd been brought back to his roo. He'd been asleep, but had stirred a couple of times before falling back to sleep. Everything checked out during the surgery and it was decided to let things heal themselves while watching him closely.

There was a low glow from the light falling into the room from the hallway, along with the dim light on the wall behind the head of the bed. After he had been settled into his room and the nurse left to check on another patient, she had moved closer to look at him. His face was relaxed and peaceful, no sign of his usual frown – he always seemed to be so tense.

He was battered and bruised. He had a bandage wrapped around his chest to help with the healing and discomfort of the lung puncture. There was another bandage over the area where they had done the exploratory surgery. Peeking out from under the chest wrap she could see the burn marks from Wo Fat's torture. She knew what it was from – she'd seen it before on a case out in Colorado. In that case, a couple of very sadistic boys had decided to further their bullying of one of their classmates by taking him into a barn on one of the boy's property and using a cattle prod to send electric shocks to the boy's chest.

She took in the sight of the cuts around his left eye and the bruising along his jaw line where Wo Fat had struck him over and over. She noticed too the marks on his wrists where he hung from chains from the ceiling of the abandoned bunker.

She lightly touched his brow, feeling that he was cool – no fever. At her touch, Steve stirred slightly, letting out a soft groan. Lori pulled her hand away and watched the frown reappear just before his eyes fluttered opened and he tried to focus.

"Shhhh," Lori soothed. "Sorry I woke you."

"S'okay," he said, his speech still slightly slurred from the effects of the medications. He started to try to sit up. Lori put a hand on his shoulder and the other on his forehead, gently easing him back down.

"Woah, just lay still. You just came from surgery, remember?" she whispered.

She felt him relax back onto the pillow. "Right. So, how'd it go?" he asked, pulling at the oxygen cannula that had replaced the face mask. His mouth was so dry, he thought as he cleared his throat. Lori reached over to get a facecloth off the stand alongside his bed. She poured some of the fresh water from the pitcher onto it and wet his lips.

"Thanks," he said.

"Major Dixon said they didn't need to remove any of your spleen. They're just going to keep a close watch to make sure that its healing by itself. Same thing with your lung. So, how're you feeling? Are you having pain? I can call the nurse," she said, reaching for the call button.

He took her hand. "Its not so bad just now. I think I'm still a little numb all over from the anesthesia," he said, smiling.

"Lori – thanks for coming to get me out of there," he said, holding her hand and letting it rest against his chest. She felt his warmth and the steady beat of his heart.

"Well, of course we came to get you," she said, making no attempt to move her hand away. "I was…, WE were so scared. We thought we'd be too late," she said with a slight blush. Their eyes met and held each other's for a moment. He had to admit to himself that he felt "something" when they'd first met and she proceeded to intrigue him ever since their little lighthearted exchange at the coffee shop on the Jen Hassley kidnapping case.

He tightened his grip on her hand slightly. "I hear you got to fire an RPG," he said, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Cool? It was terrifying!" she corrected. After a moment of silence where he didn't take his eyes from hers, she smiled and admitted, "Yeah, pretty cool." They both laughed, with Steve grabbing at his stomach from the action.

"Sorry," she said, putting her other hand over his on his stomach.

Lori pulled her hands away as a nurse came into the room to check on him. "Commander, you're awake," she said cheerfully. "I'm Stephanie and I'll be working the overnight shift tonight. How are you feeling? In general and pain-wise, I mean," she asked.

"Umm, I'm having some pain, but its nowhere near as bad as before the surgery," he answered and Lori noticed the frown again. She wanted to reach out and smooth his wrinkle.

"Well, how about we give you some more pain medication. Doctor's orders anyway. You can't eat or drink or get up, so you might as well sleep, right Sir?" she asked, as she administered the medication into his IV tubing before he could decline it.

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear that Nikki put you up to sedating me so I don't get out of bed again," Steve answered, feeling the medicine coarse through him, the drowsiness setting in.

"Now Commander, we nurses don't hold grudges…. For too long anyway," she teased him as she marked down the numbers from the monitors that were connected to him. She took a quick look at his dressings to make sure there was no bleeding.

"Agent Weston, he's going to be going back to sleep. You might as well go home and get some rest yourself. I'll be here all night and keep a close eye on him," Stephanie offered.

"Wait, stay until I fall asleep," Steve said, sounding drowsier.

Lori looked at the nurse for approval and got it. The nurse left and she held his hand again, his grip a little weaker now with the medication taking over.

Fighting to stay awake a little longer, he pulled on her hand to pull her a little closer. "So, what was that hug back at the pick up zone?"

"Oh!" she said, blushing darker this time. Thankfully, the lights were low and she hoped Steve couldn't see it. "Sorry – I just…," she was having a hard time bringing her eyes to meet his.

"I was so glad to see that you were still alive…, I just…" she stammered slightly. "No – I almost never saw you again, Steve, so I'm just going to say it. I have to tell you that almost since the day we met, I have…," she started to explain, looking back at his face only to see the frown gone and the peaceful look of sleep on his face.

She wondered how much he'd actually heard before he fell asleep again. She slid her hand from his and stood watching him sleep and listening to the even sound of his breathing. She pulled the sheet up a little higher, leaned over and kissed him, but his lips didn't respond to her own. "I'll see you in the morning," she whispered next to his ear. A very slight sound escaped from him – an acknowledgement maybe?

She gathered her things from the chair and looked back at him just before she left the room.

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Rescue –**

**Chapter 4… Conclusion.**

**Before I begin this last chapter, let me first start by thanking all for the feedback for this story. It started out as a one part story to finish up where the episode ended. But, you guys pushed me for more – even though I wasn't sure where I was going with it. I received feedback from both pro Lori/Steve shippers and those adamantly against it. I kind of am against it, but there has been some kind of "thing" going on between them the last couple of episodes.**

**Anyway – here is the last part. I hope you like it.**

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

Steve heard the click behind him – the sound of a gun safety being turned off. He turned slowly to see Jenna Kaye pointing a gun at him. He saw the look on her face – there was terror, fear, regret and desperation written all over her face. He stood slowly and turned to face her fully. He didn't understand at first, what she was doing. Then, she said, "I'm sorry," and he knew who was behind the whole thing. Wo Fat. How could he have let himself be fooled yet again. He'd trusted his old friend, Nick Tallridge, and was betrayed; he'd trusted the Governor and was betrayed; and now, Jenna.

"Commander, Commander," he heard from somewhere beyond his thoughts. He felt a hand on his shoulder, slightly shaking him.

He came fully awake with a start, his hand quickly reaching up to grab the one on his shoulder, thinking he was still back in the abandoned bunker being tortured by Wo Fat and his men. He tried to jump up, but the pain in his abdomen and chest prevented it at the same time he heard, "Whoa, Commander. Its me, Major Dixon. Commander, do you remember where you are?" said the doctor helping the nurse to keep Steve lying down.

"What? Oh, yeah," Steve said, feeling the sweat on his body. "Sorry, Sir," he said, the adrenaline abating as the pain was fully realized by his brain.

"You were quite restless there a moment ago," the Major said as he examined Steve's wounds.

"Um, yeah. Bad dream, I guess. Sorry," he said, apologizing for almost attacking the man.

"Not a problem. Dream about what you've been through?" he asked nonchalantly as the nurse went about checking is IV lines and oxygen.

"Something like that," Steve admitted.

"By the looks of these bruises and cuts, not to mention your internal injuries, you've been through quite an ordeal," Major Dixon continued as he re-wrapped the incision on his abdomen. "Would you like to speak with someone, Commander? All confidential, of course," he quickly added.

"No, Sir. Thank you, but I'm fine," Steve told him.

Major Dixon pulled the sheet back up to cover his torso, "Alright then. If you change your mind just let one of us know. It's not a big deal at all, Commander."

"Thank you, Sir," Steve said.

"Okay, well, I think we can start getting you up and around today. Some clear fluids. Any questions?" Major Dixon asked.

"When will I be able to travel home?" Steve asked.

"Uh," the doctor replied, thinking. "If no complications come up, you should be able to travel in a couple of days, but that's about all you'll be able to do for a bit. You have a doctor to follow-up with back in the States, Commander?" Major Dixon asked.

"Yes, Sir," he answered.

"Okay, then. Let's plan on three days tops. I'll check back in on you this afternoon," he said. "Oh, and no more unapproved trips to the head without nurse approval, hmmm?" he teased before leaving the room.

"Nikki, you ratted me out," he directed toward the nurse.

"Why Commander, I would never…" she replied, with a smirk. "I'll be back in about ten minutes and we'll get you something to drink and get you up for a bit. You can't shower yet, but you can get cleaned up if you're feeling up to it." She held up a syringe – it was empty, but Steve didn't know that. "Do I need to make sure you stay put, Commander?"

"No," Steve answered quickly with a smile. "I'll be right here where you left me."

With a satisfied nod, she walked out of the room.

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

His team seemed to arrive all at the same time as he was sitting in a reclining chair, near the window. The sun was streaming in the room and he was slightly reclined, with his eyes closed, just feeling the warm sun on his face. He'd had some very bland, clear soup of some kind, gotten up to get cleaned up, and had done a couple of laps up and down the hallway. He'd just had some pain pills, as the IV had been removed, and was waiting for them to kick in to relieve some of his discomfort.

"So, this is what you'll look like sitting in your room at the old folks home in about 20 years," Danny teased as the rest of them filed in behind him.

"Very funny," Steve said among the laughs. "Hey, guys."

"So, what's the word from the doctor, Boss?" Kono asked.

"Well, I'm unhooked from everything. I should be able to head home in about two days," he said as Nikki came in.

"And, that's about all he should be doing for a while, right Commander? He's supposed to head home and follow-up with his own doctor before he gets cleared for anything," she told them.

"Hey, whatever happened to patient confidentiality?" Steve teased her.

"Umm…., did you forget this is the military? You have no confidentiality here – only orders to follow," she said, coming around the crew to take his blood pressure, pulse and temperature.

"Yes, ma'am," he saluted.

"What'd I tell you about that ma'am thing," she said, unexpectedly tearing the bandage from where his IV had been removed and taking a bunch of arm hair with it. "Ow!" he yelped.

She took her supplies and, offering a sadistic grin over her shoulder, waltzed back out again as Steve was rubbing his arm.

Danny's phone rang and he stepped out into the hall to take the call. Lori and Steve caught each other's eye and held for a moment. Lori saw something different there – different than yesterday. A coldness, she thought.

Danny stepped back into the room and all eyes turned to him as Steve noticed a not too happy look on his face. "What's up, Danny?" Steve asked.

"That was the Governor's Office. First, they are glad you're okay and doing well," Danny passed along. "The Governor, of course, would like a few words with you when you get back," he stated with a roll of his eyes.

Steve groaned. "And, second?" Steve asked.

"Second, is that they need us back home. There's some diplomat's kid that is in trouble – nothing major – but the Governor would appreciate our taking the case," Danny told them. "I get the feeling it wasn't a request as much as an order," he added.

"Oh. Okay, well go ahead. I'm fine here. I'll be home in a couple of days and get in touch with you then," Steve said.

"Well, someone should stay with you, Steve. I could stay behind to make the trip back home with you," Lori offered – a little too quickly they'd noticed. They'd all seen – and Kono heard about – Lori jumping out of the helo and hugging him when he'd been brought from the jungle.

Joe White noticed a funny look on Steve's face at her offer. He hid it quickly, but Joe didn't miss it. And from the look on Lori's face, neither did she.

"I have another couple of days of debriefing here anyway," Joe said, stepping up to Steve's side. "I'll make sure I'm all finished by the time Steve is discharged and I'll fly home with him," he finished, seeing the relief on Steve's face. He made a mental note to talk to him about what's going on when they were alone.

"Oh, okay," Lori answered, puzzled. She thought that they'd had some kind of connection yesterday. Now she thought maybe it was just the drugs that were in his system after the surgery. He was kind of out of it. She felt like a fool for saying what she'd said before she left him last night. Her only consolation was that he was asleep and probably – hopefully – hadn't heard her. A blush came to her face.

"Okay," Kono said, noticing some tenseness in the room. "I'll go see about arranging flights home for us."

"I'll help you, Kono," Lori offered, suddenly wanting to be anywhere but in that room right now.

"Chin, the Governor's Office is sending some information to your phone, background materials we can take a look at on the way back home," Danny told him.

"Ummm, okay. I'll get over to the base office and see if I can get them printed out. Steve, we'll be back before we take off," Chin said

"I'll head over to the Base Commander and see if I can speed up this debriefing stuff so we can get out of here as soon as you get the okay from the doctors," Joe said.

**5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0 – 5-0**

Finally, it was just Steve and Danny. Danny could see that Steve was getting tired. He assumed he'd had another dose of pain meds.

"So, what'd the Governor say about this new case?" Steve asked, stifling a yawn.

"Sounds to me like another rich kid trying to get protected by 'Daddy the Diplomat,'" Danny answered. "Something about joy riding in a car other than his own. The fact that the car was his girlfriend's father's, and the father told the kid he didn't want him around his daughter…." Danny said.

"Ah, so that'll be you in a few years with Gracie and her boyfriends," Steve teased.

"No, I'll be sending Grace away to a convent before that happens," Danny joked.

"So, what's going on between you and Lori," Danny asked after a lull in the conversation.

"What do you mean," Steve asked.

"The hug at the pick up zone, the look you two exchanged this morning when we got here. Looks like there's something going on. Not that I disapprove, just that I didn't know," he said.

"Danny, nothing's going on. I don't know what that hug was all about – maybe she was just glad I wasn't dead. I don't know. But, there's nothing going on. I don't even know her that well," Steve said dismissively.

"Well, she looked pretty hurt when you told her to go back to the States with us rather than stay here with you," Danny commented.

"You know, I don't even know who besides you, Chin, Kono and Joe I can trust anymore. My track record of late hasn't been the best, Danny," he said. "I mean, don't get me wrong – Lori hasn't done anything at all to make me suspect her of anything other than what she presents as, but…" he trailed off.

"But," Danny picked up where Steve left off, "you thought the Governor and Jenna were what they said they were too."

"Yeah," was all Steve could say.

"Look, when we get back Stateside, I'll check her out thoroughly," Danny offered.

"Thanks," Steve said. "Let me know when you find out when you head out," he said.

"We'lll definitely be back before we fly out, and I'll get word to you about what's going on back home," Danny responded. They were interrupted by Nikki coming through the door.

"Well, Commander, I think you've had enough exercise for one day. How about we get you back into bed for a bit," she said, standing alongside him with a hand on her hip.

"Uh, yeah," Steve answered, moving to sit forward. He'd gotten stiff from sitting in the chair and Danny helped Nikki get him up and standing.

"Ready, Commander?" Nikki asked before moving him toward the bed.

"Um, actually, I need to go that way first," he said, motioning toward the bathroom.

"Well, whatta you know, Nave Seals CAN learn," she teased, bringing a laugh from Steve followed by an "Ouch."

"Steve, I'm gonna go check in with Chin and Kono to see about travel plans. We'll stop back later to let you know what's going on before we go," Danny said.

"Thanks, Danny. For everything," Steve called to him.

As Danny left the room, he laughed as he heard Steve arguing with Nikki, "No, you will wait right here. If I need you, I'll tell you."

**THE END.**


End file.
